Federated States of Micronesia in 1993

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A republic in the western Pacific Ocean, the Federated States of Micronesia comprises more than 600 islands and islets in the Caroline Islands archipelago. Area: 701 sq km (271 sq mi). Pop. (1993 est.): 103,000. Cap.: Palikir, on Pohnpei. Monetary unit: U.S. dollar, with (Oct. 4, 1993) a free rate of U.S. $1.52 to £1 sterling. President in 1993, Bailey Olter.

In 1993, during its third year of independence, the Federated States of Micronesia continued to build international links. In July Micronesia became a member of the International Monetary Fund and its agencies and paid $1.2 million for a membership levy and subscription. Late in 1992 Pres. Bailey Olter visited China; he reaffirmed Micronesia’s commitment to a single-China policy and signed a cooperation agreement. Olter also received the new Spanish ambassador, thus renewing historical and cultural links with a former colonial power in the region.

Continuing drought in the district of Chuuk (formerly Truk) in the latter part of 1992 brought relief assistance from the U.S. and necessitated water shipments from Guam. Thirty-four islanders from the district of Kosrae (formerly Kusaie) pressed for compensation from the U.S. for health problems, which they charged stemmed from exposure to nuclear radiation. The men claimed that they were hired by the U.S. to clean up at Bikini after the conclusion of nuclear testing in the 1950s. The U.S. government stated that it had no medical or work records for the claimants. Under the Compact of Free Association, non-Marshallese could not claim compensation from the $270 million fund set aside for the Marshall Islands, but they could submit a direct claim to the U.S. Barrie K. Macdonald

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country in the western Pacific Ocean. It is composed of more than 600 islands and islets in the Caroline Islands archipelago and is divided roughly along cultural and linguistic lines into the states of—from west to east— Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae. The capital is Palikir, on the...